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Only his memories can save her…

A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

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PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

Characters

Aios – AYY-ohs

Alastir Davenwell – AL-as-tir DAV-en-well

Andreia – ahn-DRAY-ah

Arden – AHR-den

Attes – AT-tayz

Aurelia – au-REL-ee-ah

Baines – baynz

Beckett – BECK-et

Bele – bell

Blaz – blayz

Brandole Mazeen – bran-dohl mah-ZEEN

Braylon Holland – BRAY-lon HAA-luhnd

Britta – brit-tah

Callum – KAL-um

Clariza – klar-itza

Coralena – kore-a-LEE-nuh

Coulton – KOHL-ton

Casteel Da’Neer – ka-STEEL DA-neer

Crolee – KROH-lee

Dafina – dah-FEE-nuh

Davina – dah-VEE-nuh

Delano Amicu – dee-LAY-no AM-ik-kyoo

Dorcan – dohr-kan

Dorian Teerman – DOHR-ee-uhn TEER-man

Duchess and Duke Ravarel – duch-ess and dook RAV-ah-rell

Dyses – DEYE-seez

Ector – EHK-tohr

Effie – EH-fee

Ehthawn – EE-thawn

Elian Da’Neer – EL-ee-awn DA-near

Elijah Payne – ee-LIE-jah payn

Eloana Da’Neer – EEL-oh-nah DA-neer

Embris – EM-bris

Emil Da’Lahr – EE-mil DA-lar

Erlina – Er-LEE-nah

Ernald – ER-nald

Eythos – EE-thos

Ezmeria – ez-MARE-ee-ah

Gemma – jeh-muh

General Aylard – gen-ER-al AYY-lard

Gianna Davenwell – jee-AA-nuh DA-ven-well

Griffith Jansen – grif-ITH JAN-sen

Halayna – hah-LAY-nah

Hanan – HAY-nan

Hawke Flynn – hawk flin

Hisa Fa’Mar – hee-SAA FAH-mar

Ian Balfour – EE-uhn BAL-fohr

Ione – EYE-on

Ivan – EYE-van

Isbeth – is-BITH

Jacinda Teerman – juh-SIN-dah TEER-man

Jadis – JAY-dis

Jasper Contou – JAS-per KON-too

Jericho – JERR-i-koh

Joshalynn – josha-lynn

Kayleigh Balfour – KAY-lee BAL-fohr

Keella – KEE-lah

Kieran Contou – KEE-ren KON-too

King Jalara – king jah-LAH-ruh

King Saegar – king SAY-gar

Kirha Contou – k-AH-ruh KON-too

Kolis – KO-lis

Kyn – kin

Lady Cambria – lay-dee KAM-bree-uh

Lailah – lay-lah

Lathan – LEY-THahN

Leopold – LEE-ah-pohld

Lev Barron – lehv BAIR-uhn

Lizeth Damron – lih-ZEHTH DAM-ron

Loimus – loy-moos

Lord Ambrose – lohrd AM-brohz

Lord Chaney – lohrd chay-NEE

Lord Gregori – lohrd GREHG-ohr-ree

Lord Haverton – lohrd HAY-ver-ton

Loren – LOH-ren

Luddie – LUHD-dee

Lyra – lee-RAH

Mac - mack

Madis – mad-is

Magda – mahg-dah

Maia – MY-ah

Malec O’Meer – ma-LEEK O-meer

Malessa Axton – MAHL-les-sah ax-TON

Malik Da’Neer – MA-lick DA-neer

Marisol Faber – MARE-i-sohl FAY-berr

Millicent – mil-uh-SUHNT

Mycella – MY-sell-AH

Naill – NYill

Nektas – NEK-tas

Nithe – NIGHth

Noah – noh-AH

Nova – NOH-vah

Nyktos – NIK-toes

Odell Cyr – OH-dell seer

Odetta – oh-DET-ah

Orphine – OR-feen

Peinea – pain-ee-yah

Penellaphe – pen-NELL-uh-fee

Penellaphe Balfour – pen-NELL-uh-fee BAL-fohr

Perry – PER-ree

Perus – paehr-UHS

Phanos – FAN-ohs

Polemus – pol-he-mus

Preela – PREE-lah

Priestess Analia – priest-ess an-NAH-lee-ah

Queen Calliphe – queen KAL-lih-fee

Queen Ileana – queen uh-lee-AH-nuh

Reaver – REE-ver

Rhahar – RUH-har

Rhain – rain

Rolf – rollf

Rune – roon

Rylan Keal – RYE-lan keel

Sage - sayj

Saion – SIGH-on

Sera – SEE-ra

Seraphena Mierel – SEE-rah-fee-nah MEER-ehl

Sera – SEE-rah

Shae Davenwell – shay DAV-en-well

Sotoria – soh-TOR-ee-ah

Sven – svehn

Talia – TAH-lee-uh

Taric – tay-rik

Tavius – TAY-vee-us

Tawny Lyon – TAW-nee LYE-uhn

Thad – thad

Theon – thEE-awn

Tulis [Family] – TOO-lees

Valyn Da’Neer – VAH-lynn DA-neer

Veses – VES-eez

Vikter Wardwell – VIK-ter WARD-well

Vonetta Contou – vah-NET-tah KON-too

Wilhelmina Colyns – wil-hel-MEE-nuh KOHL-lynz

Places

Aegea – ayy-JEE-uh

Atheneum – ath-uh-NEE-uhm

Atlantia – at-LAN-tee-ah

Barren Plains – bar-uhn pleynz

Berkton – BERK-ton

Carsodonia – kar-so-DON-uh

Cauldra Manor – kall-drah [manor]

Chambers of Nyktos – cheym-berz of nik-TOES

Dalos – day-lohs

Elysium Peaks – ihl-LEES-ee-uhm peeks

Evaemon – EHV-eh-mahn

High Hills of Thronos – hie hilz of THROH-nohs

Iliseeum – AH-lee-see-um

Isles of Bele – IGHelz of BELL

Kithreia – kith-REE-ah

Lasania – lah-SAHN-ee-uh

Lotho – LOH-thoh

Masadonia – mah-sah-DOHN-uh

Massene – mah-SEE-nuh

Mountains of Nyktos – MOWNT-ehnz of nik-TOES

New Haven – noo HAY-ven

Niel Valley – nile valley

Oak Ambler – ohk AM-bler

Padonia – pa-DOH-nee-ah

Pensdurth – PENS-durth

Pillars of Asphodel – [pillars of] AS-foe-del

Pinelands – PINE-lands

Pompay – pom-PAY

Seas of Saion – SEEZ of SIGH-on

Skotos Mountains – SKOH-tohs MOWNT-ehnz

Solis – sou-LIS

Spessa’s End – SPESSAHZ ehnd

Sirta – SIR-ta

Saion’s Cove – SI-onz kohv

Stygian Bay – stih-JEE-uhn bey

Tadous – TAHD-oos

Temple of Perses – TEM-puhl of PUR-seez

The Three Jackals – thuh three JAK-uhlz

Three Rivers – three RIH-verz

Triton Isles – TRY-ton IGH-elz

Undying Hills – UN-dy-ing hillz

Vathi – VAY-thee

Vodina Isles – voh-DEE-nuh IGH-elz

Western Pass – WEST-tern pass

Whitebridge – WIGHT-brij

Willow Plains – WIHL-oh pleynz

Terms

Arae – air-ree

benada – ben-NAH-dah

ceeren – SEER-rehn

Cimmerian – sim-MARE-ee-in

dakkai – DAY-kigh

demis – dem-EEZ

eather – ee-thohr

graeca – gray-kah

Gyrm - germ

imprimen – IM-prim-ehn

kardia – KAR-dee-ah

kiyou wolf/wolves – kee-yoo [wolf/wolves]

lamaea – lahm-ee-ah

laruea – lah-ROO-ee-ah

meeyah Liessa – MEE-yah LEE-sah

notam – NOH-tam

sekya – sek-yah

sparanea – SPARE-ah-nay-ah

tulpa – tool-PAH

wivern – WY-vehrn

NOTE TO READER

While the lives of those written on these pages are fictional, what they experience occurs in life outside of these pages—myself included. For that reason, please be aware that there are discussions surrounding self-harm and abuse.

Please know that you do not need to hurt.

There is help.

Visit crisistextline.org

PRESENT I

A sweet but stale scent drifted out from the dark corridor. My head jerked toward the sound of light, fast footsteps as I reached for my hip, drawing the bloodstone dagger.

A vampry darted between the sandstone pillars, rushing into the lamplit hall of the seemingly unending vault beneath Wayfair Castle, nothing more than a flash of streaming dark hair, alabaster skin, and crimson silk.

There was no hesitation. Neither Kieran nor I had given any of them leeway since entering the underground.

I released the dagger, sending it flying across the hall. The bloodstone blade struck true, embedding deeply in the vampry’s chest, cutting off the annoying, godsawful shriek as it knocked the Ascended back. A web of fissures rapidly appeared in the Ascended’s flesh, spreading across its cheeks and down its throat. Skin cracked and then peeled back, lifting from bone and turning to dust. Within a heartbeat, my dagger clanged off the stone floor beside nothing more than a pile of silk.

“Cas.” It came out as a sigh, and my lips curved into a smile despite the frustration filling the breathy word.